My son said, “Dad, I don’t understand the difference between a diameter and a radius.”

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stevenjklein@reddit

Do I need to repost this to r/explainthejoke?

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n99127@reddit

Diameter is equal to 2 radii (2 x radius) so a diameter minus (which is what difference means in this context) a radius is a radius

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stevenjklein@reddit

Thanks for the explanation. I wasn’t reading “difference” in the math sense.

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ni-wom@reddit

In a larger circle it makes an even bigger difference!

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Yeah, my English major brain was scrabbling to understand this joke, even after reading one of the earlier comment trying to explain it. I was trying to determine if it was a pun I was missing or some obscure definition.

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TargaryenPenguin@reddit

Yeah I get it but what is the joke?

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housebottle@reddit

omg. that took me forever. thank you

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greenskinmarch@reddit

The dad must be a consultant. He gave an answer that was technically correct but completely inappropriate for the context.

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3rdLastStand@reddit

Maybe we can reword this:

What's the difference between a diameter and a radius?
A radius.

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One-eyed-snake@reddit

Ohhhhhh. I’m a bit slow. Thanks

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garvisgarvis@reddit

Don't feel bad. I'm extremely brilliant and I didn't get it either ;-)

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clhb@reddit

We found the paragraph guy here.

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ElectronRotoscope@reddit

So then he's like "okay, so if I know the diameter, how do I figure out the circumference?"

"Oh, that's easy as pi"

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Major_Magazine8597@reddit

Oh, now we're just going around in circles.

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Tight_Syllabub9423@reddit

That's because when we're having pun, everybody wants a piece of the pi.

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NeoRothschild@reddit

What flavor is pi ? Snozberry ?

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Tight_Syllabub9423@reddit

I'm pretty sure they make a raspberry pi

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LaughingHiram@reddit

I was going to say “Repeat joke” but THAT is the repeat joke. I don’t know what this guy got stuck in his radii, but I can’t see the joke because of it

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countafit@reddit

It had to be repeated because it's pi times radius squared.

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j0llyllama@reddit

The first part mentioned circumference, which is pid. Pir² is the area, so it doesn't fit the joke mathematically. Sorry to be pedantic.

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ShadowSanctus@reddit

It depends on how old the joke is, when I was in school it used to be taught as 2πr for diameter but that was over 30yrs ago...

Damn, I'm old...

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eyeMiss8bit@reddit

What do you even mean? 2(pi)r is not diameter.

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ShadowSanctus@reddit

Try it, see if you get the same answer with 2πr as you do with πd

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blakeo192@reddit

Yup lol and BTW the perimeter of a circle is known as the circumference! Math is fun lol

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ShadowSanctus@reddit

I just read the joke again and it's just that the son didn't know that the diameter is the sum of 2 radiuses of the circumference

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GNUTup@reddit

Do you think mathematics changes with time?

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ShadowSanctus@reddit

You think it hasn't? Mathematics itself might not change but the way it's taught does.

I learned that the perimeter of a circle was calculated with 2πr but my son learned that it's calculated with πd, it's technically the same but the curriculum now uses the latter formula instead of the former.

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GNUTup@reddit

Mathematics can progress, and this might qualify as change. But things which are true so not magically become untrue later, and things like basic 2D geometry (like area and circumference) do not change because they are provable facts.

2πr = πd

These are equivalent statements, not “people changing things.”

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mufo0@reddit

Talk about protracting out the joke

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Dockers4flag2035orB4@reddit

I like Maths jokes that add up.

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Healthy_Ladder_6198@reddit

I see what you did there!

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telmesumpm@reddit

I understand diameter but I get lost with radius.

Great son, you’re halfway there!

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telmesumpm@reddit

It reverse that scratch

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Zealousideal_Luck322@reddit

Surely that’s the other way around ?

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pivorock@reddit

It took me a bit. I’m disappointed in myself.

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boblablyo@reddit

Me too, was wondering what I was missing, then it came a round to me

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ktka@reddit

One is a Greek dude and the other one is Roman dude.

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irrelevantmango@reddit

I was bartending in a pub. On the menu we had tons of burger choices, options, and add-ons. One of the choices was patty size, a third-pound or a half-pound. Customer asked me, what's the difference. I said, "A sixth of a pound."

He complained to the MOD and I got written up for the first and only time.

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keirmack@reddit

What did the Ministry of Defence do in that situation?

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irrelevantmango@reddit

Lol, manager on duty.

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forbiddenthought@reddit

What was his complaint?

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irrelevantmango@reddit

You know, I've never been exactly sure about that. The best I can figure out is that yeah, it should be perfectly obvious that the only possible difference between a half of anything and a third of it, is one-sixth, and he was embarrassed that he asked a dumb question, and mad at me because I didn't on the fly come up with an answer (or even bother to try) that would save face for him with his date.

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greenspath@reddit

I really need to know that, too!

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Eggslaws@reddit

I don't understand diameter but radius is a protocol!

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TheWiseOne1234@reddit

Figuring that out is half the battle!

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Creeperkry@reddit

I'm willing to admit it.

That took me a second.

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rrjpinter@reddit

A Second ? Or a Minute ? Or a Degree of …. Never-mind…

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Tight_Syllabub9423@reddit

I understood it, because I'm a grad.

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Alone_Mission1253@reddit

You can always mention that, of all of King Arthur's Knights of the round table, Sir Cumference was the roundest Knight of them all due to too much pi...

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intencely_laidback@reddit

This is my new favorite joke!🤣

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Majukun@reddit

Son: This kind of stuff is why mom left

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Sebyang@reddit

Every Asian understands that joke

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GetOffMyLawn73@reddit

I love this one! Usually geometry jokes are for squares!

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tkeelah@reddit

Just try a different angle.

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exfxgx@reddit

That was acute statement you made there.

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ramakrishnasurathu@reddit

Ah, your son seeks wisdom, in numbers, in spheres,

A journey of learning, through laughter and years.

The circle’s embrace, so perfect and round,

A radius whispers, where truths can be found.

But you, dear father, with humor and grace,

A clever reply lights up his face.

The diameter stretches, from edge to the core,

While the radius humbly stands, at the center’s door.

In jest, you teach him with love and with cheer,

For wisdom grows deeper when laughter is near.

So circle your heart, and teach him with joy,

For each lesson shared, no matter how coy.

The circle of life, with its endless radius wide,

Is love in its fullness, with you by his side.

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stilesj96@reddit

I just want you to know I read this in the voice of the guy that does the nursery rhymes into liminal horror stories

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RustyMozzy@reddit

Can this Chat bot AI karma farmer please be controlled? Every joke has a rambling non contributory comment that is pseudointellectual word salad from this user - ramakrishnasurathu

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